- A
Create a resource-based policy on each resource type that denies creation in unapproved Regions.
Why wrong: Resource-based policies are scoped to individual resources and are not practical for organization-wide enforcement.
- B
Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies actions in unapproved Regions. Attach it to the root or OUs.
SCPs provide centralized control over maximum permissions for accounts in an organization.
- C
Create an IAM policy that denies actions in unapproved Regions. Attach it to all IAM users and roles.
Why wrong: IAM policies cannot be attached to OUs; they apply to users/roles only and may be overridden.
- D
Enable AWS CloudTrail to log resource creation and set up a CloudWatch alarm to notify if resources are created in unapproved Regions.
Why wrong: CloudTrail logs events but does not prevent resource creation.
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company uses AWS Organizations with multiple OUs. The security team wants to enforce that no resources can be created outside of approved AWS Regions. Which policy should be used, and how should it be attached?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies actions in unapproved Regions. Attach it to the root or OUs.
Service control policies (SCPs) are the correct mechanism to centrally restrict AWS service actions across all accounts in an AWS Organization. By attaching an SCP that denies actions in unapproved Regions to the root or OUs, the security team ensures that no principal (including the root user) can create resources outside the allowed Regions, regardless of any IAM policies attached at the account level.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a resource-based policy on each resource type that denies creation in unapproved Regions.
Why it's wrong here
Resource-based policies are scoped to individual resources and are not practical for organization-wide enforcement.
- ✓
Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies actions in unapproved Regions. Attach it to the root or OUs.
Why this is correct
SCPs provide centralized control over maximum permissions for accounts in an organization.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create an IAM policy that denies actions in unapproved Regions. Attach it to all IAM users and roles.
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies cannot be attached to OUs; they apply to users/roles only and may be overridden.
- ✗
Enable AWS CloudTrail to log resource creation and set up a CloudWatch alarm to notify if resources are created in unapproved Regions.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs events but does not prevent resource creation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse SCPs with IAM policies, thinking that attaching an IAM policy to all users is sufficient, but they overlook that SCPs are the only way to enforce restrictions across all accounts in an organization, including the management account's root user and any accounts that might have full administrative access.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCPs are evaluated before any IAM or resource-based policies and can explicitly deny actions based on the `aws:RequestedRegion` condition key. This condition key is available for most AWS services and allows fine-grained control, such as denying `ec2:RunInstances` in `us-east-1` while permitting it in `eu-west-1`. A common real-world scenario is a company that must comply with data residency laws, requiring all resources to be created only in specific geographic Regions; SCPs attached to OUs ensure that even newly created accounts inherit the restriction automatically.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — This question tests Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies actions in unapproved Regions. Attach it to the root or OUs. — Service control policies (SCPs) are the correct mechanism to centrally restrict AWS service actions across all accounts in an AWS Organization. By attaching an SCP that denies actions in unapproved Regions to the root or OUs, the security team ensures that no principal (including the root user) can create resources outside the allowed Regions, regardless of any IAM policies attached at the account level.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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